Ignem Tristitia (An Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Prequel) [ON HOLD]

Chapter Seven - Bowels of the Empire

"Lumak?" said Star, pushing open the door to Lumak's quarters.

He wasn't there.

"Lumak?" she continued saying, checking in each of our rooms.

It was nighttime, the stars were shining bright. Masser and Secunda were full in the deep purple sky above.

"Lumak where are you?" Brelas said, searching the storages.

"I don't think he's in here," Drelas said.

"Then where is he?" Brelas asked, unsatisfied with Drelas' comment.

Drelas shook his head and kept looking around.

"Where the Hist are you, orc?" Veezare hissed, scanning the training room. "Are you dead?"

He heard a footstep behind him, and unsheathed his sword.

"Lumak!" he whispered. "Are you hiding?"

Then, a loud shattering noise came from the storage rooms. Veezare sped to the rooms and opened the door.

Drelas was standing over a shattered vase, his eyes wide in fright.

"Drelas," Veezare sighed.

"Sorry," Drelas said kicking the ceramic shards underneath a table.

Veezare shook his head and started out the door, only to be bumped into by Lumak.

"Lumak!" Veezare shouted. "Where the hell've you been?

"Shut up and move!" Lumak whispered. "There's something on the ship."

Veezare just stood there.

"Move!" Lumak said, barging into the room. He closed and locked the door.

"What are you doing?" Brelas asked.

"Be quiet!" Lumak whispered.

"Why?" Drelas whispered back.

"Something's following me," Lumak whispered, stepping away from the door.

"What do you mean something's following you?" Veezare whispered, perplexed.

"I mean," he said walking up to Veezare. "Something is following me. Stalking me. Wanna know why I didn't come up and help with that giant creature? Because I was at the bottom of the ship. I was looking for something in the crates. Then I heard this horrible scratching, and saw something scuffling across the room."

"Oh," Veezare said. "You can let go of my tunic now."

Lumak didn't realize he'd grabbed the chest of Veezare's tunic.

"Sorry," he said, letting go.

"Is that thing outside?" Drelas asked.

"Possibly," Lumak shrugged.

"Possibly?" Brelas hissed. "What if it kills someone? Star, S'Drassa, Kharjo, and the rest of the crew are still outside!"

"But we're in here," Lumak stated. "So we're staying alive."

"No, we're not," Veezare scoffed. "I'm opening the door."

"No!" Lumak yelled, coming between Veezare and the door.

"Yes!" Veezare said. "Get out of the way."

"Sorry, but I can't let you do that," Lumak whispered.

"By Sithis!" Veezare said. "Do you want the rest of the crew dead, leaving us stranded in the ocean, only to come out and die?"

Lumak thought about that for a minute, imagining the chaotic scenario. "No," he said. "No, I don't."